- The man now identified as Seif Eldin Mustafa, an Egyptian surrendered to counter-terrorism police officers in Larnaca, Cyprus

- His motives for the hijacking remains a mystery

EgyptAir flight MS181 was hijacked on Tuesday (Reuters)

The man who hijacked EgyptAir flight MS181 between Alexandria and Cairo, and ordered the pilot to divert to Larnaca in Cyprus has been arrested. According to the Cypriot foreign ministry and the airline, the situation ended with all hostages being released and the hijacker surrendering.

According to The Guardian, a man emerged from the aircraft and then walked across the tarmac with his hands up to two awaiting counter-terrorism police officers. The officers laid him on the ground and searched him for about two minutes before taking him away.

Earlier, seven more people, thought to be the last of the crew and passengers who had remained with the hijacker on board, were seen leaving the plane. One man climbed out the cockpit window. Flight MS181 had 55 passengers on board when it was seized, Egyptian authorities said. All passengers and crew appeared to have been freed from the aircraft safely.

The Cyprus foreign ministry identified the hijacker as Seif Eldin Mustafa. EgyptAir Flight MS181 was taken over by the passenger claiming to be wearing a suicide explosive belt. Some reports saying Seif Eldin Mustafa wanted to talk to his estranged Cypriot wife, while others said he was seeking the release of female prisoners in Egypt.

Egyptian prime minister Sherif Ismail said the man was an Egyptian national who had asked to meet European Union officials or to fly on to another airport.

“At some moments he asked to meet with a representative of the European Union and at other points he asked to go to another airport but there was nothing specific,” he said.